1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for training the swing of a batter.
2. Description of Prior Art
The use of so-called batting tees for practice in hitting baseballs and softballs is well known from the youngest of players to professional athletes. In the use of a tee, a baseball or softball is supported on a vertical member or stanchion, which has a formation at the top to receive the ball. Generally, the lower end of the vertical member is affixed to a planar support or base replicating the home plate used in baseball or softball. The vertical support member is generally adjustable in height; i.e., it can be a telescoping member, to position the ball over the plate at the desired vertical position; e.g., at approximately the vertical height of a pitched ball relative to the ground as it travels past the batter. In use, the batter assumes a stance adjacent to the base or plate of the batting tee and swings the bat at a ball on the tee, thereby simulating the actions the batter would take in striking a pitched ball.
While batting tees are useful to a certain extent in developing the swing of a baseball/softball player, it falls far short of teaching a batter the desired positioning of the hands relative to the body, as the batter swings the bat to strike the ball.
It is well known in baseball/softball circles that to properly contact a pitched ball to obtain maximum result, both in direction and power, the hands of the batter on the handle of the bat should be ahead of the barrel of the bat just prior to the time the bat makes contact with the pitched ball. This is generally referred to as keeping the hands inside the ball, which generally leads to a short, quick swing, such that the barrel of the bat does not hook around or go outside the ball. This swing requires that the hands stay relatively close to the body to achieve an optimum swing.